A PHILIPPINE APHRASTOBRACON 



By C. F. Baker 

 (From the College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines) 



In 1896 ^ W. H. Ashmead described a very remarkable hymen- 

 opterous parasite of the family Braconidae, from Ceylon, under 

 the name Aphrastobracon fiavipennis. It had been bred by Mr. 

 E. E. Green from a culture of a lac insect, Tachardia alhizzix, 

 but probably came from a lepidopterous insect feeding on the 

 Tachardia. In the structure of the head and the submedian cell 

 in the wings it differed from all known members of this family, 

 and as a consequence, Ashmead founded for it not only a new 

 genus, but a new tribe in the subfamily Braconinse. Briefly it 

 is a cyclostomatous braconid with immargined occiput, having 

 a linear face, greatly enlarged eyes but small ocelli, and the sub- 

 median cell much shorter than the median on the median vein. 



Among the Rhogadinse of the Philippine Islands there are sev- 

 eral genera related to Gyroneuron of Kokujew, described ^ from 

 Assam, all of which present remarkable venational characters, 

 accompanied by other unique structural details. Had Ashmead 

 known Gyroneuron, he would not have passed without remark 

 certain very similar venational features in Aphrastobracon. On 

 account of this unique venation, I had accidentally placed a fine 

 Philippine representative of Aphrastobracon with the Rhogadinse, 

 from which, however, it is excluded by the immargined occiput. 

 Even from Ashmead's very incomplete description it is apparent 

 that the Philippine species is entirely distinct from Aphrasto- 

 bracon fiavipennis. 



Aphrastobracon philippinensis sp. nov. 



Thorax and legs pale ochraceous, abdomen sordid ochraceous ; 

 antennas brownish black, paler apically. Wings faintly smoky, 

 base of first cubital cell dark smoky, the costa above it black- 

 spotted; veins pale ochraceous, paler on distal half of wing. 

 Body clothed with whitish pubescence, heavier on legs, abdominal 

 dorsum, and costa. 



Male. — Head cubical, viewed from above with eyes little bulging 



'Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. (1895), 18, 646. 

 'Rev. Russe Ent. (1901), 1, 232. 



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